Professional boxing in Nigeria’s has been going through a renaissance that has got the whole world watching. And Dr Ezekiel Adamu is in the forefront of this effort, which aims at making boxing one of the most lucrative sports available to talented young Nigerians.

The Balmoral Promotions chief has brought glamour to the sweet science that was hitherto not there and now, every strong, young Nigerian sees himself in the same light as the best in the trade.

Among the boxing promoters in the country, Adamu stands out with his connections to some of the world’s top boxing deal makers and broadcast outfits, including SuperSport and DAZN, which have made the Nigerian boxing scene attractive to some of the best fighters in the world.

And for Adamu, this is just the first leg of his ambition to make Nigeria Africa’s boxing hub.

Ahead of his latest offering of the now world famous Chaos in the Ring, which brings some of the globe’s best fighters to Lagos, Adamu says that the stage is set for one of the best entertaining shows yet in the series.

Chaos in the Ring is Balmoral Group’s boxing entertainment platform, combining professional boxing, celebrity matchups and premium live entertainment to create a major sporting and cultural spectacle.

He said that the platform is committed to developing African boxing talent, creating opportunities for fighters to compete at the highest level and connecting African sport with audiences around the world.

Holding on Nigeria’s Independence Day, October 1, Adamu says that everybody coming to be part of the show is guaranteed the best of boxing, arts and culture.

“This is another step in the right direction in terms of what we’re building. We want to start getting world title holders here in Nigeria and in Africa as a whole.

“It is an opportunity to build a home for African boxing, give fighters access to major titles on African soil and introduce the continent’s talent to a global audience. It’s never about perfection. It’s always about momentum.”

The main attractions in the latest Chaos in the Ring is the expected battle between Nigeria’s Godday Appah and
Ghana’s Seth “Freezy Macbones” Gyimah, which, according to Adamu, “shows what we are we are building here.”

He described Freezy as “actually one of the most decorated fighters; one of the biggest fighters when it comes to Africa, not just Ghana.

“The last time he fought in Ghana, he filled up the whole stadium on the show. So, we’ll have Ghana watching. We’ll have Godday Appah as well, who’s representing Nigeria, especially the whole of Niger Delta as well.

So, it’s exciting times ahead.

“I got calls from all around the world from people saying ‘wow! that is a proper match-up.’ We’re lucky to have these two guys in the ring.”

Apart from the professional fighters, also on the card at the event billed for the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, is a celebrity bout between Carter Efe and Speed Darlington, which possesses the potential to make boxing lovers’ day.

Both celebrities were at the Balmoral Event Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, recently to flex muscles and show fans a hint of what to expect on October 1.

Adamu says that the forthcoming show is in line with his dream of getting to the level where there will be Chaos in the Ring every month.

“In the future, we plan to get involved with the amateur side of boxing. As you know, the amateur side of boxing is being run by the government. The pro boxing side is run by an NGO, promoters and managers. And that’s what we are playing at the moment.

“Although we haven’t got to the amateur side, what we do on our own part is giving back to the society….every time we have a show, we always have to go back to the communities of these fighters to showcase the fighters to their community.

“We also have a foundation called the Ring of Hope Foundation. What the Ring of Hope Foundation does is that every time a fighter comes on our show and wins, we go back to his community to give back to that community on behalf of the fighter.

“So, the fighters have been telling us that they are actually becoming heroes in their own communities.”

Adamu said that his promotion is going beyond organising fights to building disciplined superstars, who understand that when they become world champions, it is not just about buying cars and houses.

“They will also understand that they also have to go back to their communities to help in their own ways.”